Toronto Women`s 416 Run Challenge—Week 6, What I Think About When Running

 

“What do you think about when pounding the pavement kilometre after kilometre?” This is a question I am asked quite often by friends that don’t run and it’s usually followed up by, “Don’t you find it boring?” In a nutshell I think of everything and nothing on a run.

 

Outside of running I don’t often have regular chunks of long uninterrupted time to spend thinking about anything. The only other place is if I lock myself in the bathroom, but chances are Cilla will notice I`m gone and come looking for me. So running is really the only period of the day that I have the time and space to reflect, think or just zone out. It’s interesting to note that endurance running and cycling are the only sports that allows one to think at great length while doing the activity. All other sports require focus and concentration and not conducive of abstract thinking.

 

So what do I think about?

 

Like most runners, I think about pace and distance. My watch buzzes every kilometre and I look to see what stats it is giving me and adjust as needed to keep on track with the goal I set out for the day. Depending on what my watch is showing, further thoughts could be one of, “oh crap, how can I be running that slowly? I’m never going to finish this run if I don’t pick up the pace,” or, “Holy crap, I’m a machine!”

 

Pain and discomfort can take over my thoughts if I let them. Ankle aches, a niggle in my hip, back pain, tight hamstrings, stomach ache, heartburn, coughing, exhaustion, too hot, too cold all present themselves at some point during the run, but I try to keep them quiet. I tune in just enough to make sure it’s nothing serious, but then I try to let go. Try being the operative word.

 

I’m constantly thinking about my environment, the weather and others around me. I am lucky to have such beautiful trails in the city of Toronto to explore and there are many beautiful sights to keep my mind occupied. Some thoughts that may go through my mind are:

“Is the path slippery?”

“Should I avoid this area?—it seems too secluded”

“Does that group of people seem friendly—should I wave?”

“Oh look, a deer!”

“Oh that was a lot of mud!”

“Great, now my shoe is soaked”

“It’s starting to rain, did I remember to wrap my phone?”

“Yay, they waved back!”

“Is that dog going to bite my foot?”

“Wow those trees are beautiful colours!” 

 

Sometimes my thoughts are mundane and drift toward the many tasks I need to do when I return from my run: The dishes waiting for me to wash in the sink, the laundry, what I’m going to make for lunch, errands I have to do, what is Cilla going to learn at school today, did I remember to reschedule my students lesson?

 

I think of fuel and hydration:

“When was the last time I had a gel?”

“Why would I think salted watermelon would be a good flavour choice?”

“For the love of god will you drink something?”

"Whoever invented electrolytes had zero taste buds."

“Will this water last the rest of my run?”

 

I think of coffee. Trish always has a cup of coffee waiting for me when I get home and it’s like a beacon of light calling to me.

 

Sometimes memories creep into my thoughts and I find myself back when I was school-aged or at university. They are not always good memories, however, but I never know what will surface and antagonize me.

 

I think of my family and how lucky I am to have such a loving and supportive wife and child. I think of what they are doing together while I am out on my run and what we will do together when I get back. I think what life will be like when the pandemic is over. I think of vacations we are planning together, or holidays we are celebrating.

 

Sometimes I problem solve. This is a great time to brainstorm ideas since I have so much time to think. I do my best creative work while I’m out on a run.

 

I listen to music on my runs and sometimes I get philosophical and try to analyze what the lyrics mean. Other times I revert back to my dancing days and choreograph a dance routine to the music going through my headphones.

 

Sometimes I find myself running and realize I haven’t been thinking at all. It’s like I just woke up from a deep sleep and I’m not sure exactly where I am. I look at my watch and realize I just ran 3 kilometres without realizing I ran 3 kilometres. This is the zone: All thoughts have ceased; running is easy; and there is no pain. This is the best place to be on a run because the kilometres race by and you are in a state of bliss.

 

Weekly Run Recap

 

This week I ran 68.8 km for a total of 351.72 km. I have 64.28 km left before I’m finished the challenge.

 

On Sunday I went for a long 24 km run. It was cold with -12 degree temperatures, but as I ran I warmed up. I made good time, much better than last week’s run. Because it was cold there weren’t as many people on the trails and I didn`t have to worry about dodging people. Most of my “friends” were there and we traded waves and friendly hellos as we passed each other.

 

On Tuesday Cilla didn’t have school because her teacher had an appointment and there were no substitute teachers available, so I was able to go on a longer run. Instead of my normal 8 or 9 km distance, I went for 12 km. It was a beautiful day and it was nice not to have the pressure of getting back at a certain time or risk being late for Cilla’s school.  When I returned I helped Cilla complete the work that was assigned to her by the teacher.

 

On Wednesday morning when I opened the blinds I was shocked to see it was snowing and had been for quite some time if all the snow already accumulated on the ground was any clue. I quickly got myself ready as I know it takes longer to run in the snow and I wanted to make sure I had time to run 8 kilometres. The snow was deep, but light and fluffy. It wasn’t very cold so all the ice below the snow melted and was slushy but not slippery. It was a hard workout, but fun to run through the snow. Other runners I passed were also happy to run in the snow and had huge smiles on their faces. On the way back from running in the trail I ran on the road in the car tracks. I was so used to running on the light, fluffy, soft snow that when I ran on the asphalt it felt hard and rigid.

 

On Thursday most of the snow had melted, or at least that’s what I thought as I headed off to the trail. As I descended into the valley, I was slipping and sliding on the path. I was hopeful that that was the only place where the ice had accumulated. I was wrong. The entire trail was covered in snow and ice and was like an ice rink. After 1 km of fighting the awful terrain, and having a few close calls, I decided to retrace my steps and run on the street. The sidewalks were much better. While there was some black ice in spots, for the most part it was clear and a much easier to run. As I was running, fire trucks passed me in succession, their sirens and lights blaring and when I passed the senior housing building near the trail the trucks were congregating in front of the building. I have no idea what happened. It was quiet when I passed earlier that morning.

 

On Friday I ran another 8 km, but it was not an easy run. I woke up with a headache and backache and didn’t really feel like running. I got up and went out the door anyway. It was a tough run and while I was hoping my head and back would feel better like it sometimes does, it gradually got worse throughout the day.

 

I have one week left of the challenge.